Significant in Quicksilver's development was the almost immediate arrest and imprisonment of Valenti for a drugs offence. He did not rejoin the band until late 1969. In 1965, the line-up was strengthened by the arrival of guitarist Gary Duncan and, replacing Sonoban, Greg Elmore.
They debuted at the end of '65 and played around the Bay Area and then the West Coast for the next two years, building up a large following, but resisting offers to record that had been taken up by such San Francisco acid-rock colleagues as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.
Quicksilver finally signed to Capitol toward the end of 1967 and recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968. Jim Murray departed soon after their well-received appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
The quartet of Cipollina, Duncan, Elmore and Freiberg recorded the first two albums; both were important in the development of San Francisco rock music, as the twin lead guitars of Cipollina and Duncan made them almost unique. The second collection, "Happy Trails", is now regarded as a classic. George Hunter and his Globe Propaganda company were responsible for some of the finest album covers of the 60s and Happy Trails is probably their greatest work. The live music within showed a spontaneity that the band were never able to recapture on subsequent recordings. The side-long suite of Bo Diddley's 'Who Do You Love' has some incredible dynamics and extraordinary interplay between the twin guitarists.
Duncan departed soon afterwards and was replaced by UK session pianist and ex- Steve Miller Band and Jeff Beck Group member, Nicky Hopkins. His contributions breathed some life into the disappointing "Shady Grove", notably with the frantic 'Edward, The Mad Shirt Grinder'.
"Just For Love" showed a further decline, with Valenti, now back with the band, becoming overpowering and self-indulgent. "Fresh Air" gave them a Top 50 U.S. hit in 1970. Cipollina and Hopkins departed, as did Freiberg following his arrest in 1971 for drug possession (he found a lucrative career later with Jefferson Starship). The remaining trio of Valenti, Duncan, and Elmore hired replacements and cut another couple of albums before disbanding by 1979.
Various incarnations have appeared over the years with little or no success. As recently as 1987, Gary Duncan recorded an album carrying the Quicksilver name, that also featured Freiberg on background vocals, but by then old fans were more content to purchase copies of the first two albums on compact disc.
Gary Duncan has a side project as Crawfish of Love.
Not many of Quicksilver's members are left. John Cipollina passed away, May 29, 1989, and the great Nicky Hopkins left us in September 1994, and Dino Valenti died November 16, 1994.
In 2006, Gary Duncan and David Freiberg launched a 40th-anniversary Quicksilver celebration tour as Quicksilver Messenger Service. They are still performing.
Throughout 2014 David Freiberg is touring with Jefferson Starship (40th anniversary tour) joined by Paul Kantner (original member of Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane)
Song for Frisco
Quicksilver Messenger Service Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How long can this go on, are you still actin' the same old crazy way?
I think there's something wrong, I think somebody took your heart away,
I believe someone took your love away, I want to bring love back to stay,
But if somehow I don't get to you, you'll still be okay.
How long can this lonely night be, I sing the same old sad love song,
It's the only song I know, it's just like me,
But if somehow I don't get to you, you'll still be okay.
I believe someone took your love away, I want to bring love back to stay,
But if somehow I don't get to you, you'll still be okay.
How many times can I tell you the same old story, I say the same old line,
I love you, baby, that's what I'm worryin' about.
I believe someone took your love away, I want to bring you a heart today,
But if somehow I don't get to you, you're still okay.
I believe someone took your heart away, I want to bring you a heart today,
But if somehow I don't get to you, baby, you'll be okay.
So I'll try, try here, I'm a tryin' to find another way to say I really love you,
I may not ever win, I'm gonna sing this song, tryin' to talk to you,
I belive someone took your love away, I want to bring you a heart today,
But if somehow I don't get to you, you're still okay.
The lyrics to the Quicksilver Messenger Service's Song for Frisco speak to a sense of longing and loss. The singer is reaching out to their partner or lover, questioning whether they are still the same as before, and wondering if their heart has been taken away by someone else. The repeated phrase "I believe someone took your love away" gives a sense of uncertainty and desperation. The singer wants to bring back love and make things right, but there is perhaps a fear that they won't be successful.
The use of repetition in the lyrics reinforces the sense of stuckness and frustration that the singer is feeling. They keep singing the same sad love song, hoping it will make a difference, but unsure if it will. The verses end with the repeated reassurance that their partner will be okay, even if they don't succeed in bringing back their love.
Overall, the Song for Frisco is a poignant and emotional piece of music that speaks to the human need for connection, and the pain that comes when that connection is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
How long can this go on, are you still actin' the same old crazy way?
I wonder how long you will keep up with your old, irrational behavior.
I think there's something wrong, I think somebody took your heart away
I sense that there is a problem and someone has taken your love from you.
I believe someone took your love away, I want to bring love back to stay
I truly believe that someone stole your affections, and I want to restore love between us.
But if somehow I don't get to you, you'll still be okay.
Even if I am not successful, you will be alright without me.
How long can this lonely night be, I sing the same old sad love song,
This night is so lonely, and I find myself singing the same sad love song again and again.
It's the only song I know, it's just like me,
This song is the only one that I can connect with, it reflects my own feelings and emotions.
How many times can I tell you the same old story, I say the same old line,
I wonder how many times I have to repeat the same old words, saying I love you to you.
I believe someone took your love away, I want to bring you a heart today,
I believe that somebody has taken away your love, and I want to give you my heart in return.
But if somehow I don't get to you, you're still okay.
Even if I am unable to reach you, it won't harm you in any way.
So I'll try, try here, I'm a tryin' to find another way to say I really love you,
I will keep trying to find new ways and words to express my love for you.
I may not ever win, I'm gonna sing this song, tryin' to talk to you,
I may never win your heart, and yet I will keep singing this song, hoping that it reaches you.
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Montgomery Denzer
on Fresh Air
Cool man